supporting verses will be counted as well.
Based on the above guidelines, Warren on average uses approximately 11.2 scripture texts in each of his sermons. In Table 2, below, are the averages from each of the series that have been obtained for this study:58
Table 2. Scriptures Per Sermon
Title of Series Scriptures Per Sermon
What God Can Do Through Ordinary You 3.8
Achieving Through Believing 7.6
How to Make Your Life Count 9.8
Building Great Relationships 12.2
Psalm 23 - Stress Busters 12.0
Building a Great Life 13.4
Essentials for 21 st Century Living lOA
Clear Thinking 10.6
The Purpose Driven Life 17.1
Understanding the Passion 14.5
Can You Hear Me Now? 15.3
Christmas Messages 9.8
This representative sample of Warren's sermons gives a picture of the frequency of Scripture usage in his sermons over the last twenty years.
Several observations can be made from the list above. First, the earlier series have less Scriptures per sermon than the later series because many of the sermons in these series were based around one main text. The later series tend to have more Scriptures used than the earlier ones because more of the sermons in these series follow the verse- with-verse model than the earlier ones. A second observation is that Warren may be
58These sermon series are listed in chronological order except the Christmas series, which is a collection of the ten Christmas messages Warren delivered between 1991-2000.
moving away from preaching verse-by-verse sermons, or that when he does do it, he is includes even more supporting Scripture than he used to. The later series do contain more verse-with-verse sermons than the earlier ones, but without access to all of the recent and earlier sermons, it is difficult to say conclusively whether he is moving away from verse-by-verse preaching. Another observation is that the series with the most Scripture used is The Purpose Driven Life series. The reason this series uses so much Scripture is likely because it is based on The Purpose Driven Life in which Warren utilizes almost one thousand passages. 59
In looking at the sermons, some trends arise as to the length of the Scripture passages Warren uses. First, at times Warren will simply make use of a part of a verse.
Examples of this include 1 Corinthians 15: 1 Oa from the Living Bible: "Whatever I am now it is all because God poured out such kindness and grace upon me.,,60 He uses this point to emphasize that grace is a gift from God and that everything good in life is from God.61 Though Paul's point in the text was related to the argument the Corinthians were having over Paul's authority, he clearly was emphasizing that everything he had was from God. This example is not uncommon for Warren's sermons. At times he will use part of a verse because it is unnecessary to share the entire verse to make the point. Other times, Warren will use part of a verse because the rest of the verse does not support what he is saymg. An example ofthis would be from the message, What on Earth am I Here For? in
59See Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, 325.
6°Quoted in Rick Warren, "Living By Grace," Essentials/or 2Jsf Century Living, pt. 2 (Lake Forest, CA: Saddleback Church, 1999), sermon transcript.
The Purpose Driven Life series. Here he uses Proverbs 16:4a: "The Lord has made everything for His own purpose.,,62 The rest ofthe verse in the God's Word Translation says, " ... even wicked people for the day of trouble." Warren does not include this second part of the verse and he does not give any reason. It may be related to his desire to always say things in a positive, encouraging way.63 It appears that the majority oftimes Warren uses part of a Scripture, the reason is related to the first example, where it was unnecessary and would simply have added phrases to the sermon body. The way he used just part of a verse in the second example seems to be more of an exception.
Another trend in how Warren makes use of various Scripture lengths in a sermon is he utilizes a complete verse or verses, sometimes spread over a chapter of Scripture. Warren makes frequent use of texts from books like Proverbs, Psalms, and James, which are not as tied to a context and are thus easily explained. Proverbs 12:26 was used in the sermon, How God Talks to You: "The godly give wise advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray" (NLT).64 Later in that same sermon, he uses a conglomeration of parts of four consecutive verses together: "God speaks again and again, in dreams, in visions of the night ... [sic] as they lie on their beds. He opens their ears in times like that and gives them wisdom and instruction, causing them to change their minds, and keeping them from pride ... [sic] and from falling into some trap"(Job
62Warren does not use an ellipses here though the verse clearly continues. The period gives the misleading feeling that the statement is complete when it is not.
63See Warren, "The Purpose Driven Preaching Conference," text, 26.
64Rick Warren, "How God Talks to You," Can You Hear Me Now? pt. 2 (Lake Forest, CA:
Saddleback Church, 2004), sermon transcript.
33:14-17,LB).65 The reason Warren gives for cutting down texts is to cut down on time in the sermon used for reading Scripture when parts of the verse, or even verses, are not needed to make the point.66
How Warren Makes a Point Using a Text
Having delineated Warren's approach to preaching and evaluated the way Warren uses Scripture in his sermons, the question comes to mind, "Exactly how does Warren use Scripture to make a point in his sermons?" This section will consider the relationship between the points of his sermons and the Scripture used to support those points.
How Directly Are His Points Based on Texts?
The fact that Warren believes in the inspiration and authority of God's Word and that he utilizes Scripture in an extensive way in his sermons suggests that Warren is an expository preacher according to the definition that this author has put forth. Yet, as has already been demonstrated, Warren will at times crop a text down to eliminate truths that contradict or modify the point he is trying to make. Even if he qualifies as an expository preacher in a broad sense, the question still remains, to what degree are Warren's sermon points derived from biblical texts? In a survey of his sermons, Warren uses Scripture in several different ways to make his point.
An initial way Warren makes use of Scripture is by utilizing a direct point built
65Ibid.
66Warren, "Purpose Driven Preaching Conference."
off of a Scripture. In these instances, the meaning of the Scripture is simply and directly placed into a sermon point. An example ofthis would be from the sermon Telling the Truth to Each Other in the Building Great Relationships Series. One of the points Warren makes is that in order to build great relationships, people need to, "Tell the truth
lovingly." He then makes use of Ephesians 4:15 to support this point: "Speak the truth in a spirit oflove" (GN). This Scripture is followed by Ephesians 4:29: "[Speak] only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen,,67 (NIV). The first text is used to support the point while the second is used for further clarification. After quoting the second verse Warren gives this explanation: "If you're doing it for their benefit it's in love. If you're doing it for your benefit, it's not.
Speak only what is helpful- sometimes the truth hurts but in the long run it's helpful.
But why are you doing it? It may be the truth, but if it's not helpful, don't share it. You only share what is helpful, building others up for their needs. ,,68 Many times Warren will use Proverbs and other texts to make the direct point he is trying to make and which require no contextual explanation.
One place where Warren seeks to make a direct point, but clearly misrepresents the text is in the third message in his Essentials for 21 st Century Living series. In this message, titled You've Got to Get Connected, Warren's primary text, before he makes any points, is Genesis 2:18: "It is not good for man to be alone,,69 (NIV). One might
67See Rick Warren, "Telling the Truth to Each Other," Building Great Relationships, pt. 9 (Mission Viejo, CA: Saddleback Valley Community Church, 1991), sermon transcript.
68Ibid.
6'lRjck Warren, "You've Got to Get Connected," Essentials for 2
r
Century Living, pt. 3 (Lake Forest, CA: Saddleback Church, 1999), sermon transcript.assume that this text is used for supporting how men need women and vice versa, but it is not. After citing the passage, Warren says, "You were made for relationships. You were created for connections. Psychologists call this a universal need to belong. Even Jesus neededfriends. The Bible has a very important word about connecting people at the deepest level. That spiritual connection is called fellowship,,70 (emphasis mine). Nothing is mentioned about the context of Genesis 2:18 being when God created Eve for Adam because Adam was incomplete without her. If Warren's interpretation of this text to mean just general "relationships" is taken to its logical conclusion one might find people using it to justify homosexuality. This text is clearly about the relationship between man and woman in the created order and in marriage, not general relationships between people.71 In a survey of Warren's sermons used for this research, this type of misuse of a text is not very common.
Another way that Warren makes a point using Scripture is through a clear inference from the Scripture. Though this category may seem very close to the previous one there is a clear distinction. When Warren utilized a direct point from a text, the meaning of the text and the meaning of the point are the same, with no interpretation or explanation needed to clarify it. In making a direct inference, the meaning of the Scripture and the point are closely associated, but other elements require there to be an explanation to tie them together. An example of this type of Scripture usage in a point comes from the second sermon in the Essentials for 21 5t Century Living, titled, Living By
7°Ibid.
71This author would hardly argue with Warren that people need relationships with other people, but this text is too specific to make generalizations about all relationships from it.
Grace. In this message one of Warren's points is that grace is "Available to Everyone."
He uses Romans 4: 16 to support this point: "The promise is not only for those people that live under the law of Moses. It is for anyone who lives with faith like Abraham,,72 (ICB).
Though the text clearly infers the point, still an explanation is needed to relate this verse to the availability of grace to all people now. Warren gives this explanation:
Who are the people who live under the law of Moses? The Jews. The Jewish people, the nation of Israel, live under the law of Moses - the Old Testament. This verse is saying that God's grace is available not just to Jews who live under the law of Moses but is available to everybody with faith.
That's good news. It's not just for Jewish people. It's for all of us. All of us can come to God in the same way - through faith in the grace of God through His Son Christ. It's available to everybody.73
In these types of points Warren will offer an explanation, like he did above, to help the listeners, especially the unchurched, make the connection between the point and the text.
Another example of a direct inference point is in the message, God's Antidote to Worry from the Psalm 23 series Stressbusters which Warren preached in 1995. In this message Warren makes the point that one of the antidotes to worry is, "Believing God Will Take Care of Me." This point is based on Psalm 23:1: "The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need,,74 (NIV). Warren clarifies this verse by helping his listeners to understand the Old Testament role of the shepherd:
Ifl believe that God is going to take care of me, I'm not going to worry. How does making God my shepherd show the antidote to stress in my life? Ifllet the Lord be my Shepherd how is that an antidote to worry? You have to know what shepherds
72Rick Warren, "Living By Grace," Essentials/or 21st Century Living, pt. 2 (Lake Forest, CA:
Saddleback Church, 1999), sennon transcript.
73Ibid.
74Rick Warren, "God's Antidote to Worry," Stressbusters, pt. 1 (Mission Viejo, CA:
Saddleback Valley Community Church, 1995), sennon transcript.
do.
1. A shepherd provides. He provides food, shelter, the basic necessities for his sheep.
2. A shepherd protects. He defends against enemies, harm.
3. A shepherd guides. He leads sheep when they're confused and don't know which way to go.
4. A shepherd corrects. Any problem that comes along, he corrects it.
The amazing thing is this: God has promised to do these four things in your life if you'll trust Him, if you'll let Him be your shepherd.75
Warren shares this explanation so that his listeners can see the role of a shepherd and understand that if they will make God their shepherd, he will take care of them.
Another category of ways Warren uses Scripture to make a point is through character principles. In these instances, Warren will use a narrative passage, or a passage where a person's experience is central, and will derive his point or points from it. An example of the character principle point is the sermon, "How to Prepare for a Miracle" in the Building a Great Life series. Here Warren's outline shows how each point is derived from the story:
1. Admit that I have a need
"When Jesus ... saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them ... so he began teaching them. Bv this time it was late in the day. so his disciples came and said,
This is a remote place. Send the peoDle away so they can go and buy something to eat.' But Jesus answered, 'You give them something to eat!' They said, That would take eight months ora man's wages! "' Mark 6:34-37 (NIV)
2. Assess what I have already
"How many loaves do yOU have?' Jesus asked, 'Go and see.' When they found out, they said, 'Five small loaves o/bread and two fish. /I' Mark 6:38 (NIV)
"Jesus asked this only to test them, for he already had in mind what he was going to do." John 6:6 (NIV)
75Ibid.
3. Give God whatever I have
''Jesus took the jive loaves and the two jish. .. He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people ... " Mark 6:41 (NAS)
The boy gave what he had ... willingly, cheerfully & immediately.
4. Expect Him to multiply it
"Everyone ate and had enough. Afterwards they collected 12 baskets full of ...
leftovers!" Mark 6:42-43 (Ph)
''All things are possible with God." Mark 1 0:27 (NIVf6
After introducing the story from Mark 6, Warren draws a parallel between the characters of the original story and the listeners to his sermon. He says, "When you have a problem and need a miracle, you need to do four things. They're all a part of this story.'>77 The principles he shares from the story are the principles that the listeners are told to follow.
This category of sermon point is based on the idea that stories in the Bible provide timeless principles that can be applied to today.78 Warren makes frequent use of this type of preaching.
One difficulty with this approach to sermon point development is that there is a danger in equating the biblical situation of the story to the situation oflisteners today. In the example mentioned above one ofthe central points ofthis story is to emphasize Jesus' power and authority as superior to human abilities because He is God. There is no
indication in the text and no commentator was found who believes that Jesus was giving a
76Rick Warren, "How to Prepare for a Miracle," Building a Great Life, pt. 8 (Lake Forest, CA:
Saddleback Church, 1997), sermon transcript.
78See Warren, "Purpose Driven Preaching Conference."
recipe on what to do when a miracle is needed. In addition there are no examples in the book of Acts or in New Testament churches where these steps, derived from this story, were used to bring about a miracle. At the same time, there are many similarities between the principles Warren derives from this story and the experiences of many Old Testament characters such as Moses, Joshua, and David. In this sense Warren's principles are in- line with the biblical principles of man's dependance on God and the need for greater faith in God.79 The text might have been better served in a sermon by pointing to these principles as a greater way to connect with God and position oneself for God to work. To make this text a recipe for a miracle is to clearly stretch it beyond its original intent.
The danger of using character or narrative points lies in extrapolating principles from a context that does not directly relate to the context of contemporary listeners, and thus misrepresenting God's Word. In speaking about biographical or character preaching Sidney Greidanus warns, "It imposes an interpretive grid on the story that equates biblical characters with the people in the pew and then inquires how we ought to imitate or learn from their examples.,,80 The place of stories and events in salvation history must be considered before making the leap to contemporary times.
79There is nothing in the Mark 6 story that suggests that the disciples "expected" the miracle that Jesus performed, but Jesus did it anyway. Warren tells his listeners to "expect him to mUltiply it."
While this principle cannot be derived from this story, one can easily observe that Jesus celebrated and responded to faith when he saw it as in the case of the centurion in Matthew 8:5-10; he chastised his disciples for having "little faith" as in Matt 8:26; and that he called people to greater faith as in Matt 17:20.
Thus, Warren's point is biblical, though not necessarily from the passage he cites.
8°Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999),36. While Greidanus is wholly against this type of preaching, this author believes this preaching can be helpful as long as the biblical context and current context are not equated and the principles that are derived from the story are consistent with the rest of the Bible and the overall theme of the kingdom of God.
Ideally, the principles from the story can be found explicitly stated somewhere else in the Bible. This protects the preacher from misrepresenting God's Word.